[Histonet] What they don't want you to know.

[Jay Lundgren]

I came out of the US military and you NEVER turn anything off. Well, the
cold plates on the embedding centers, and you empty and clean your water
baths, but other than that, you don't even turn the lights off.

If, one time, a tech comes from the OR with a specimen at 3 AM, and knocks
the 5 headed scope off its table, because he didn't know where the light
switch was, you've just wiped out 500 years of your penny
pinching savings from the lights. And don't tell me that you've locked the
door, because, believe me, they will get the key from security to unload a
Megacolon.  Not to mention, the tech might get hurt, which is of
inestimable cost.

 Wait until you plug the cryostat in one busy Monday morning and nothing
happens.  Good luck with your job search.

Sincerely,

Jay A. Lundgren, M.S., HTL (ASCP)


On Thu, May 18, 2023 at 2:19 PM Ken M via Histonet <
histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu> wrote:

> How can you make some of your Histology equipment last forever?
>
> Water bath- fill the water every morning with water at about the same
> temperature that you operate. Every one of these water bath units contain a
> heating element that is the biggest source of failure. The less you make it
> work means you can extend the life of your unit ten times. Heat the water
> in a microwave or on the stove first.
>
> Embedding Center- Same thing. Melt the wax ahead of time in a less draw
> intensive "coffee pot." before you put it in the chamber.  Don't ever crank
> the temperature of the unit up to melt the wax fast so you can get to work
> quicker. The heating elements will fail in three times their life.
> Replacing the heating element in your embedding center will cost you
> $600-1000 dollars. Replacing the coffee pot $100.
>
> Block Trimmer- same thing. Don't let it run too long when you are not
> using them. They use the exact same silicone heating element. The less it
> is on the longer it lasts.
>
> Cryostat- put it to sleep at minus 10 each night. on weekends turn it off,
> open the top and let it dry out over the weekend. Don't believe the crap
> about the seals drying out if you turn it off. Do they dry out in your car
> in the Winter when the A/C is not running?
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